Brandin Podziemski is ready to build on his powerful Warriors rookie campaign with an even better second season.
The Santa Clara product, who the Warriors selected No. 19 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, proved he can space the floor offensively, comfortably switch around defensively and do all the dirty work in between in his first year.
Now, heading into his first professional offseason, Podziemski will prioritize mastering his fluctuating roles in correspondence to Golden State’s approach to the 2024-25 NBA season, which he thoroughly explained Wednesday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.”
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“Probably pretty simple, but scoring the ball more,” Podziemski said to Mark Willard & Dan Dibley. “Just talking to [Warriors coach] Steve [Kerr] and [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy] at the end-of-the-year meetings -- what kind of shots I’m going to get, what kind of shots they want me to take. Obviously, with another year under your belt, you’re going to get a little bit more leash and have an opportunity to score the ball more.
“They know that my passing and my rebounding always is going to translate, and playing hard and stuff like that is just something I’ve always had. Now, it’s just how can I take that next step as a Year-2 player and be able to contribute offensively a little bit more.”
Podziemski averaged 9.2 points and 1.2 made 3-pointers in 26.6 minutes per game during the 2023-24 season. Notably, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were the only Warriors players who averaged above 1.3 made 3s per game.
Podziemski definitely should look to score more, considering he made 45.4 percent of field goals and 38.5 percent of 3-pointers. In retrospect, the 21-year-old should have attempted much more than just 2.4 shots behind the arc per game.
Golden State Warriors
Clearly, Podziemski knows he can level up his offensive approach with an extended leash and heightened comfortability in his second season. But still, even with a league-wide reputation for being a tenacious defender, rebounder and tool player, Podziemski made it clear he is looking to improve on both sides of the ball next season -- with great consideration for his superstar Warriors teammate.
“Defensively, playing alongside Steph, just being that point-of-attack defender and taking the burden off him so he doesn’t have a tough assignment in terms of a guard matchup every night,” Podziemski said.
Curry, 36, doesn’t have the bandwidth to guard some of the league’s other stars possession after possession while running what currently is bound to be another questionable offense.
Fortunately for him, Podziemski has his vet’s back.
As the aging Warriors attempt to revive their dynastic ways that produced four NBA championships between 2014-15 and 2021-22, they can use any juice, youth and athleticism that Podziemski has to offer.
Golden State already has started this process, as it was just on Feb. 15 that Thompson shockingly was benched -- for the first time since Mar. 11, 2012 -- by Kerr in favor of Podziemski.
The two-way youngster has a bright, long NBA career ahead of him, ideally with Golden State.
Dub Nation should expect big things from Podziemski in his second season, granted he isn’t in a trade package for a star such as LA Clippers forward Paul George.